This Week at Ascension + May 31, 2023

"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." - Psalm 96

May 31, 2023

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Evening Prayer at 6:00 p.m. via ZOOM

In-person and Live-streamed

Said Mass at 6:30 p.m.

Unction will be available for those who wish it.

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

First Sunday after Pentecost

Trinity Sunday

June 4, 2023

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via ZOOM

9 a.m. Sung Mass

11 a.m. Solemn Mass -

In-person & Live-streamed

The 11 a.m. Order of Worship may be found here.

Image: The Holy Trinity, 2016, egg tempera and acrylic on wood,

Ivanka Demchuk (b. 1990) Lviv, Ukraine

Click to join us VIA YOUTUBE

or VIA FACEBOOK LIVE

In the Afternoon

3:30 p.m. Organ Recital

4 p.m. Evensong and Benediction

This is the last one for the current 2022-2023 choir season.



The Recital and Evensong bulletin may be found here.

Stewardship Highlight:

Embrace the Power of Stewardship

Dear Church of the Ascension community,

Stewardship is often associated with feelings of obligation and financial considerations and usually limited to pledge season. But it also has the power to nurture generosity and transform communities. Being good stewards involves engaging our time, skills, money, and assets for the benefit of God’s people. This comprehensive approach to stewardship can create meaningful change in our personal lives and uplift our communities.

Acknowledging its transformative possibilities, the Stewardship Committee hopes to foster a spirit of generosity within our church and towards our community throughout the entire year. We are currently developing a plan to educate, encourage, and engage each of you to be more generous with your time, money, skills, and assets. We want to emphasize that stewardship goes beyond financial contributions and the annual pledge campaigns. To keep stewardship at the forefront of our minds, the Stewardship Committee is committed to the following initiatives this year:

• We are launching a monthly series in our weekly This Week at Ascension Newsletter that highlights stewardship activities within the community. We will also be making more regular announcements at Sunday services. We hope these highlights will inspire you to consider how you can use your time, money, skills, and assets as part of the year-round commitment to Ascension.
• In our efforts to recognize individual contributions, we will be sending thank you letters for flower donations and acknowledging those who participate in our Food Pantry in the newsletter.
• Exciting collaborations between the Stewardship Committee, Christian Education, and Outreach committees are in the pipeline for later this year. Stay tuned for more details!

Finally, we invite you to reflect on the question, How am I using my time, money, skills, and assets to make a positive and lasting difference within our church and the wider community?

Here are some suggestions for getting more plugged into stewardship all year around:

• Join a committee that aligns with your skills. We have a range of committees seeking new members. 
• Mark your calendar for the first Saturday of each month to assist with Ascension's Food Pantry.
• Volunteer for one of the many jobs that make our Sunday liturgies run. Our weekly services rely on a dedicated team of volunteers, from friendly ushers who greet you at the door to those on the altar, the tech team in the back, and the generous individuals who provide refreshments during coffee hour. Please reach out, and we will help you get connected!

Blessings,

Ellie Simpson

Stewardship Committee Lead at Church of the Ascension



Become a Pastoral Visitor: Info Sessions June 18

Come learn more about visiting fellow Ascension members who cannot join us for Mass in person as well as caring for fellow members in their time of need. The sessions will take place following each of the Masses. The first one will take place in Wheeler Hall after the Sung Mass. The next one will take place at 12:50 pm in the Library following the Solemn Mass. You need not have any prior experience, just a heart to serve and love your siblings in Christ. Please email Mtr. Murphy-Gill if you have questions. 

Save the Date: Young Adult Retreat Saturday, July 29

Mark your calendars for a summer retreat on Saturday, July 29. This will be an opportunity to step out of your busy life for a day and spend time with yourself, others, and of course, God. More details regarding location and time are to come. If you have questions, please contact Mtr. Murphy-Gill.

Prayer Requests

Do you have a need for special prayer in your life? Whether your prayer needs are because you have an upcoming surgery, an ill family member, or you’re just feeling particularly lonely lately, Fr. Heard and Mtr. Murphy-Gill would like to know.

We’ve created a way for letting us know about your requests for prayers in a way we hope makes it easy for you to reach out, though you can always call the church or reach out to one of the priests personally. 

Share your prayer requests here.

For our prayers:The Quevedo family, Andrew Abbott, Suzanne Dines, James Christiansen,

Julie Jones, Daniel, Nikki Shaw, Lee Gould, John Schram, Gertrude Isaac,

Thomas Wikman, MB Hwang, Juanita Malone, Oksana, Mary W., Tyler, David S. Jones,

Richard Francis Tracz, Robert Browning, Natalia & Victor, Dorothy, Victor Fernandez,

Claire Green, Beth Hall, Sue Lenz, Brenda Martins

In thanksgiving for those Confirmed and Received on Ascension Day 2023:

Noah John Riggenbach, Nicholas Alexander Cast, Blake Smith,

Holly Beth Cast, Clarissa C. Galaviz-Lizarraga

Birthdays:

LaVerne Saunders, 5/30; Jim T. Wilson, 6/2;

Anniversaries:

Fr. Shane Patrick Gormley, Diaconate Ordination, 6/2/2012,

Meghan Murphy-Gill & Andrew Gill, Marriage, 6/3

Requiescat in pace:

Eric Magnuson, 4/27/2023; Paul James Wilbur, 5/31/1979;

William Brewster Stoskopf, Priest, 11th Rector, 6/2/1951

Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them;

May their souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Prayer for the Rector Search Committee

Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for The Church of the Ascension that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.



Organ and Choral Repertoire for June 4, 2023

Between Masses, please don’t forget that The Choir of the Ascension has recorded upwards of 60 tracks that you can listen to anywhere you have an internet connection. They can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/choir-of-the-ascension

Weekly Ascension Schedule

For connections:

via Zoom (click here)

SUNDAYS

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via Zoom

9:00 a.m. In-person Sung Mass

11:00 a.m. In-person and Live-Streamed Solemn High Mass

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

MONDAY-FRIDAY

8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer via FACEBOOK LIVE

6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer via Zoom

WEDNESDAYS

6:30 p.m. Said Mass

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

Wardens and Vestry of Church of the Ascension

LaVerne Rollé Saunders, Sr. Warden;

SeniorWarden@AscensionChicago.org

David Reeves, Jr. Warden;

JuniorWarden@AscensionChicago.org

Ian Barillas-McEntee, Jim Lo Bello, Ken Cozette, Marlea Edinger, Sean Hansen,

David A. Robertson, Elizabeth Simpson, Joshua Simpson, Samuel Sommers, Clerk



Susan Schlough, Treasurer

Finance@ascensionchicago.org

Br. Nathanael Deward Rahm BSG, Parish Office

Office@ascensionchicago.org

Approved minutes of Vestry meetings are always available online to parishioners who request the link. If you would like Internet access to these Vestry Minutes, please email the Parish Office and request the link. Once you access the web page, you can read all recent Vestry meeting minutes.

The link remains live indefinitely. Any parishioner who has the link will not need to request a new link from month to month.